Stores count on, plan for you to buy impulsively

Sarah Kinney didn't fight the shopping impulse to buy her teen son a jumbo pack of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. How could she, considering the candy was next to the check-out stand at the South Florida grocery store where she went to pick up chicken for dinner and other items.

"He eats way too much candy," Kinney said. "But he helped me shop, so he earned it." And in a way, the store earned the sale by carefully placing and positioning products in ways that make it hard for customers to turn down, even when not in the market for them.

Stores want – need – you to make impulse buys and spend more than you originally planned, especially these days. And they get results.

More than six out of 10 consumers have been unable to reduce grocery store spending and more than five out of 10 haven't cut back online purchases, according to a recent AARP survey. And more than three out of 10 say they overspend at department stores. Experts say impulse buys often account for such behavior.

In my haste to buy bathroom tissue recently at Publix, I grabbed a six-pack of double rolls located at the "end cap," the end of the aisle where stores conspicuously place discounted products. It was a pack of Cottonelle, priced at $8.99. But in the bathroom tissue aisle, a similar pack of Charmin cost $8.49. I saved 50 cents by avoiding the end cap.

Stores have impulse-buying pressure down to a science. Promotions tend to double the amount consumers end up spending before they leave the store, including multi-unit pricing ("three pairs of socks for $3"), purchase limits ("limit three per person") and suggestive selling ("deal only good while supplies last"), according to research by Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab.

So knowing the tricks of the retail trade - from product-labeling and placement strategies to playing on your senses - can help you save cash. Here are a few:

Attack the senses: Stores turn your senses against you, using smell and sight to get you to buy. Whether at Target, Costco or Macys, the smell of baked goods, fried chicken and hot-selling perfumes can be tempting. Do not shop hungry, which makes you more likely to buy more food than you need, and stick to shopping lists you've created ahead of time.

Aisle design: Stores are mazes made so you will see as many products as possible before you leave. Often the newest, highest-priced products will rest on eye-level shelving, usually bathed in warm mood lighting. These items will be well-stocked, unlike older or lesser-priced goods that you may have to stoop to find. Take the time to peruse options and ask clerks to check the stock room for cheaper goods if necessary.

Shopping Cart Warfare: You may believe stores stack shopping carts in the front as a favor. Actually, they want you to have a big bin to drop lots of items into, regardless of need or budget. Consider the dinner plate phenomenon: The bigger the plate, the more likely you fill it up and eat too much. Avoid carts when you only need a few items, and bring your own shopping bags.

Toys, furniture and electronics: Shop with a child and you'll end up in the toy aisle. That's why stores place toys in the back, forcing you to pass more products and sales bins. Same thing with other popular items, such as cameras, DVD players and couches. Again, stick to the shopping list and keep your eyes off discount tags strategically located to catch your eye as you trek by. Bring a toy to the store so your child will be less likely to drag you to buy a new one.

Daniel Vasquez can be reached at dvasquez@sunsentinel.com, or 954-356-4219, or 561-243-6600, ext. 4219. To see more columns from Daniel Vasquez, go to sunsentinel.com/vasquez.
Check out Daniel Vasquez's Consumer Talk blog for ways to spend your money wisely, use technology to make life easier and keep your family safe and healthy at sunsentinel.com/consumerblog.